When I heard about those insane lines, I said screw it, one figure isn't worth that much of my time. On the last day, Sunday, I figured I'd try my luck and see if they worked out the kinks in the system (and if they had any left in stock). 45 minutes later I had 4 in my hot little hands.

I'm definitely liking this year's exclusive and will aim to grab a couple.

Very cool, I'm really digging the concept figures this year. I'm hoping to get two sets as well, but I'll have to hold out hope that they are offered up online (and don't disappear instantly). I really hope it isn't impossible to get a hold of though, and that everyone is able to get one or two.

I kind of agree. It is so cool that we are getting these figures, but they are almost too nice to be an exclusive. It would be a shame if anyone who wanted one of these would miss out because of the exclusive status. I mean, the droids themselves are interesting/cool looking enough to sell at mass retail no problem. I'll be hoping to get some help with these as well, or hopefully they will be available online. I'd actually like to get two of them, since I had hoped to keep a McQuarrie set carded this year, but if they are super limited, I'd be happy to get one at all.

I've been thinking about this. As others have said, Hasbro can't sell enough of them to be exclusives only. Here's what I think will happen...

In the fall , we will get each of these individually carded with numbered coins. So the benefit of getting them at C4 is just the special coin and package. And since that coin may not be numbered, we can all still get our full sets of "regular" coins.

C3 had around 30,000 attendees... they probably project more for this year being the 30 Anniv. and all.

So they have to plan for a good portion of those attendees to buy 2 or more of the Exclusives. Couple that with the the exclusives they have to produce for the Celebration Europe and I forsee a fairly sizable total production run.

Picking these up at a reasonable (non-scalper inflated) price should be no problem from e-tailers like SWS.com or HasbroToyshop.

I'm just slightly sweating, I even managed to get 2 Toy Fair Vaders, but the whole idea in principal has me miffed if these aren't available another way to collectors that CAN'T travel 2000+ miles. Before, the exclusives have been kit-bashed/repaints in nicer packaging, NOT brand new exclusive sculpts....I mean remeber the complaining people did/still do over the Exclusive Walmart repaints? and they are national, not 2000 miles away for half the country. Really previously the only "new" thing was Jorj's head. The C3 Vader had a nice Con specific Base with Con specific sounds, the Silver figures were special repainted exclusives unto themselves, the Mexican and German cons were repacks in nice con specific packaging. But these figures are not only part of a current set but a special McQuarrie subset, actually 2 subsets if you count the poor coin collectors.

When I think of a 30th Anniversary Con exclusive, obscure figures based on conceptual artwork created in 1974-5 does not spring to mind. I love the idea of concept figures, going back to ones people don't even realize are concept figures (like the Shadows of the Empire Imperial Guard...check the concept Royal Guards in the Art of Jedi book) When I went to C2, the first thing I bought was the limited Edition McQuarrie DVD tin set which actually included a signed Tin card featuring the droids (same picture as the cardback) I just think they did a big disservice to fans, die hard and the average Joe. The Average Fan/kid gets screwed because they are making it a less than memorable exclusive to most fans, it's nothing unique like Jorj or a talking Vader. If I'm a Joe Blow Star Wars fan that thought it'd be fun to get a memento for myself (if I wasn't a figure collector) or for my kids, what is more unique and fun? a Figure made to look like George Lucas in a star wars costume, A Darth Vader figure that talks, or a pair of figures that look like every other figure on the pegs, except you'd have to explain to people that they weren't in the movie but based on drawings. If I was an average fan or kid, I'd be disappointed. For the Die-hard fans in most of the world, they are making it part of the normal line subsets. An exclusive that will make it harder to get for fans that are fans of the conceptual stuff, new basic figures and the coin collectors.

Then the figures themselves, they are really more amalgams of concepts. Just look at the carded figure: the picture and figure of the Threepios are different, you can tell in the head and the 'waist area'. The R2, just looks like a hodgepodge of a few sketches. I'm not liking what looks like a 2-part head with that big separation in his dome. Compared to what we've seen before: Chewie, Fett, & Vader these don't look as good.

I'll pick them up, because I love conceptual stuff, McQuarrie's stuff is what got me into the design field, I just don't like how they were offered.

-D

Logged

"Modern Collectors are just Walmart Shoppers" -The new SW "Fan Club" President

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